Contraceptive use among women with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review

Family planning and contraception in people with multiple sclerosis: perspectives for obstetricians, gynaecologists, and other health care professionals involved in reproductive planning

PURPOSE

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is often diagnosed in people of reproductive age. However, family planning counselling is not always integrated within MS care. Decisions on family planning can be further complicated by potential side effects associated with several disease-modifying therapies. While neurologists may lack training in contraceptive use and family planning counselling, obstetricians and gynaecologists (OB-GYNs) and other health care professionals involved in reproductive life planning (RHCPs) may lack detailed knowledge and experience around the use of contemporary MS treatments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Through a modified Delphi consensus programme, a multidisciplinary steering committee of 13 international experts developed practical clinical recommendations on contraceptive use and family planning for people with MS (PwMS). This article offers insights to help OB-GYNs and RHCPs implement these recommendations, focusing on contraceptive decision-making and MS medications.

RESULTS

The perspectives discussed emphasise providing education on MS to OB-GYNs and other RHCPs, enabling informed counselling for PwMS and their partners regarding contraception and family planning. Close collaboration among the multidisciplinary team, including neurologists, is crucial in providing reproductive care for PwMS.

CONCLUSIONS

The detailed perspectives provided aim to enable OB-GYNs and other RHCPs to provide informed counselling for PwMS and their partners regarding contraception and family planning.

U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, 2024

The 2024 U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (U.S. MEC) comprises recommendations for the use of specific contraceptive methods by persons who have certain characteristics or medical conditions. These recommendations for health care providers were updated by CDC after review of the scientific evidence and a meeting with national experts in Atlanta, Georgia, during January 25-27, 2023. The information in this report replaces the 2016 U.S. MEC (CDC. U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, 2016. MMWR 2016:65[No. RR-3]:1-103). Notable updates include 1) the addition of recommendations for persons with chronic kidney disease; 2) revisions to the recommendations for persons with certain characteristics or medical conditions (i.e., breastfeeding, postpartum, postabortion, obesity, surgery, deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism with or without anticoagulant therapy, thrombophilia, superficial venous thrombosis, valvular heart disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy, systemic lupus erythematosus, high risk for HIV infection, cirrhosis, liver tumor, sickle cell disease, solid organ transplantation, and drug interactions with antiretrovirals used for prevention or treatment of HIV infection); and 3) inclusion of new contraceptive methods, including new doses or formulations of combined oral contraceptives, contraceptive patches, vaginal rings, progestin-only pills, levonorgestrel intrauterine devices, and vaginal pH modulator. The recommendations in this report are intended to serve as a source of evidence-based clinical practice guidance for health care providers. The goals of these recommendations are to remove unnecessary medical barriers to accessing and using contraception and to support the provision of person-centered contraceptive counseling and services in a noncoercive manner. Health care providers should always consider the individual clinical circumstances of each person seeking contraceptive services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice for individual patients; when needed, patients should seek advice from their health care providers about contraceptive use.

Pregnancy and reproductive health in women with multiple sclerosis: an update

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated, inflammatory, neuro-degenerative disease of the central nervous system, prevalent in women of reproductive age. Today, many women want to start a family after MS diagnosis. There are over 20 treatments for MS, and safely navigating family planning is important. We review updated information on family planning, preconception, and peri-partum considerations, and reproductive concerns in special populations with MS.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are no MS-related restrictions on any available and appropriate contraceptive method in women with MS. The question of MS and pregnancy outcomes following assisted reproduction, remains somewhat unsettled. In many studies, no elevated relapse risk is confirmed regardless of the type of fertility treatment. MRI status may offer better assessment of postpartum disease stability than relapse rate alone. Ongoing effective MS treatments during fertility assistance and before pregnancy, can further reduce the relapse risk. B-cell depleting therapies are emerging as safe and effective treatments for peripartum MS patients.

SUMMARY

Patients with MS should receive accurate support and counseling related to their reproductive options. The general outlook on pregnancy and MS remains positive. The ever-increasing therapeutic complexity of MS calls for ongoing education and updated guidance for neuroimmunology and obstetrics healthcare providers.

"It Would Have Been Nice to Have a Choice": Barriers to Contraceptive Decision-making among Women with Disabilities

INTRODUCTION

Engaging in contraceptive decisions is an important part of reproductive health for women and other people with the capacity for pregnancy. However, not all individuals capable of pregnancy have equal access to information and/or opportunities to make fully informed decisions. The goal of this study was to understand barriers women with disabilities experience around contraceptive decision-making and whether these differ based on type of disability.

METHODS

We conducted focus groups with 17 reproductive age adult women (aged 18-45 years). Focus groups were homogenous with regard to disability type and consisted of one group for each of the following disability categories: 1) physical disability, 2) intellectual and developmental disabilities, 3) blind or low vision, and 4) Deaf users of American Sign Language. Data were collected in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area during 2016-2017. We analyzed focus group transcripts using content analysis.

RESULTS

Barriers to informed contraceptive decision-making emerged in five main thematic areas: 1) lack of information in accessible formats, 2) incomplete information about contraceptive side effects, 3) limited clinician knowledge and relevant research specific to the care of women with disabilities, 4) taboos around discussing sexual activity, and 5) limited opportunities for shared contraceptive decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with disabilities faced numerous barriers to contraceptive decision-making. Although the barriers differed somewhat by disability type, many barriers were consistent across groups, suggesting commonalities associated with the experience of disability in the context of contraceptive decision-making. Increased attention to the reproductive health needs of people with disabilities is important for improving health care equity and quality.

Hormone therapy and disease activity in Danish women with multiple sclerosis - a population-based cohort study

Background and purpose

Sex differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence and disease course are thought to be driven by hormones. Exogenous exposure to estrogens may affect MS disease course. Thus, our aim was to investigate the association between hormone therapy (HT) and disease activity and disability accrual among women with MS.

Methods

A register‐based cohort study was conducted with prospectively enrolled cases from the Danish MS registry. Information on hormone exposure was retrieved from the National Prescription Registry. Outcomes were relapse rate, relapse rate ratio, recurrent relapses, 6‐month confirmed and sustained Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) milestones 4 and 6, and recurrent EDSS worsening.

Results

In all, 3325 women were eligible for analyses, of whom 333 (10%) were ever on HT at some time during follow‐up. We found no association between HT and disability accrual, although a trend for increasing risk with increasing length of use was seen. The risk of reaching 6‐month confirmed and sustained EDSS 4 among users was 0.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.3–1.2) after <1 year of use and 1.4 (95% CI = 0.9–2.2) after >5 years of HT compared to never use. The risk of recurrent relapse was increased by 20% (95% CI = 1.0–1.4) among current users of HT compared to nonusers. However, the risk of recurrent relapses was driven by the first calendar period (1996–2005) before the introduction of high‐efficacy disease‐modifying therapy.

Conclusions

Our findings from this nationwide MS population suggest that HT does not affect disability accrual in women with MS, especially if used for <5 years.

Influence of Pregnancy in Multiple Sclerosis and Impact of Disease-Modifying Therapies

Purpose of this Review: This article is a systematic review on the influence pregnancy has on multiple sclerosis and the resulting impact of disease-modifying therapies.

Findings: Multiple sclerosis predominantly affects young women with a clinical onset most often during the child-bearing age. The impact of multiple sclerosis and disease-modifying therapies on fertility, pregnancy, fetal outcome, and breastfeeding is a pivotal topic when it comes to clinical practice. The introduction of disease-modifying therapies has changed not only the natural history of the disease but also the perspective of pregnancy in women with multiple sclerosis. Family planning requires careful consideration, especially because many disease-modifying drugs are contraindicated during pregnancy. In this article, we review current evidence collected from published literature and drug-specific pregnancy registers on the use of disease-modifying therapies. Additionally, we discuss safety profiles for each drug and correlate them to both risk for the exposed fetus and risk for the mothers interrupting treatments when seeking pregnancy.

Sex effects across the lifespan in women with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system disorder that is more common in women, with onset often during reproductive years. The female:male sex ratio of MS rose in several regions over the last century, suggesting a possible sex by environmental interaction increasing MS risk in women. Since many with MS are in their childbearing years, family planning, including contraceptive and disease-modifying therapy (DMT) counselling, are important aspects of MS care in women. While some DMTs are likely harmful to the developing fetus, others can be used shortly before or until pregnancy is confirmed. Overall, pregnancy decreases risk of MS relapses, whereas relapse risk may increase postpartum, although pregnancy does not appear to be harmful for long-term prognosis of MS. However, ovarian aging may contribute to disability progression in women with MS. Here, we review sex effects across the lifespan in women with MS, including the effect of sex on MS susceptibility, effects of pregnancy on MS disease activity, and management strategies around pregnancy, including risks associated with DMT use before and during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. We also review reproductive aging and sexual dysfunction in women with MS.

Pharmacotherapeutic considerations in women with multiple sclerosis

INTRODUCTION

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronically progressive disease of the central nervous system. The relapsing form of the disease predominantly affects women with onset between the ages 20 to 40 years. Therefore, timing, choice, and treatment options should take pregnancy planning into consideration to accommodate both the needs and safety of the mother and health of the fetus.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, the authors discuss and summarize the recent evidence of different pharmacotherapeutic possibilities in the treatment of women with MS.

EXPERT OPINION

There is evidence that disease modifying therapy reduces the risk of relapses and diminishes disability progression in people with relapsing MS. The disease is often diagnosed in the childbearing years, and thus pregnancy planning can possibly be a part of the pharmacotherapeutic considerations. The management of women planning pregnancy requires a balancing of risks. The clinician must consider the risks related to treatment discontinuation versus the risk of exposing the developing fetus to drugs that are potential fetotoxic. Randomized controlled trials of medication safety - if used during pregnancy, are prohibited for ethical reasons; hence, the evidence is continuously gathered from observational data, post-authorization studies and pregnancy registries.

Women's Contraceptive Perceptions, Beliefs, and Attitudes: An Integrative Review of Qualitative Research

INTRODUCTION

Unintended pregnancy rates will remain high until researchers explore the lived experience of women's relationships with contraception. This integrative review examines the extant qualitative literature on women's contraception to illuminate common themes in women's perspectives through the lens of the feminist poststructuralist framework.

METHODS

A literature review of PubMed and CINAHL databases was completed for English-language studies conducted in the United States from January 2008 through September 2018 that qualitatively examined women's perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes regarding contraception. Reports, dissertations, mixed-methods research, and literature reviews were excluded. The sample, methods, and findings of 19 studies were reviewed. Themes were identified using the 5 major tenets of the feminist poststructuralist framework: discourse, power, language, subjectivity, and agency.

RESULTS

Themes of power imbalance between partners and health care providers; societal and communal discourses on femininity and motherhood; distrust of hormonal contraception; the ability to enhance personal agency through contraceptive decision making; and a need for open, patient-focused communication arose from the 19 studies included in the review.

DISCUSSION

Using a feminist poststructuralist framework to examine women's contraceptive perceptions illuminates and magnifies the many ways in which contraceptive beliefs and use are dependent on gender roles and power dynamics. Gaps in knowledge specific to older women and exploration of women's subjectivity should be addressed. Clinicians should evaluate the power structures inherent to their practice while providing woman-focused, evidence-based contraceptive education.

Impact of sex hormones on immune function and multiple sclerosis development

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting young people and leading to demyelination and neurodegeneration. The disease is clearly more common in women, in whom incidence has been rising. Gender differences include: earlier disease onset and more frequent relapses in women; and faster progression and worse outcomes in men. Hormone-related physiological conditions in women such as puberty, pregnancy, puerperium, and menopause also exert significant influence both on disease prevalence as well as on outcomes. Hormonal and/or genetic factors are therefore believed to be involved in regulating the course of disease. In this review, we discuss clinical evidence for the impact of sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone, prolactin, and testosterone) on MS and attempt to elucidate the hormonal and immunological mechanisms potentially underlying these changes. We also review current knowledge on the relationship between sex hormones and resident CNS cells and provide new insights in the context of MS. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may contribute to the development of new and safer treatments for both men and women.

Clarifying the distinction between case series and cohort studies in systematic reviews of comparative studies: potential impact on body of evidence and workload

Distinguishing cohort studies from case series is difficult.We propose a conceptualization of cohort studies in systematic reviews of comparative studies. The main aim of this conceptualization is to clarify the distinction between cohort studies and case series. We discuss the potential impact of the proposed conceptualization on the body of evidence and workload.All studies with exposure-based sampling gather multiple exposures (with at least two different exposures or levels of exposure) and enable calculation of relative risks that should be considered cohort studies in systematic reviews, including non-randomized studies. The term "enables/can" means that a predefined analytic comparison is not a prerequisite (i.e., the absolute risks per group and/or a risk ratio are provided). Instead, all studies for which sufficient data are available for reanalysis to compare different exposures (e.g., sufficient data in the publication) are classified as cohort studies.There are possibly large numbers of studies without a comparison for the exposure of interest but that do provide the necessary data to calculate effect measures for a comparison. Consequently, more studies could be included in a systematic review. Therefore, on the one hand, the outlined approach can increase the confidence in effect estimates and the strengths of conclusions. On the other hand, the workload would increase (e.g., additional data extraction and risk of bias assessment, as well as reanalyses).

[An effect of disease-modifying drugs on the development of children born to mothers with multiple sclerosis]

AIM

To evaluate an effect of mother's treatment with disease-modifying drugs (DMD) on the mental and physical development of the child in the first year of life.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirty pregnancies resulted in birth of live babies in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were studied. The diagnosis of MS was made to the mother before conception of the child. Seven mothers did not receive DMD at the moment of conception (controls), 13 mother were treated with interferon-beta (IFN) and 10 with glatiramer acetate. A structure interview, examination of the child with the assessment of common anthropometric indices, the WHO scale for achievement of six milestones, medical history and statistical analysis were used.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The data on the negative effect of MS on the growth and development of the fetus and the positive impact of treatment of the mother with DMD in the early stages of pregnancy on anthropometric indices and development of the child in the first year of life were confirmed. It has been concluded that DMD positively influence the disease course of the female patient and potentially improve the prognosis for her future offspring.

Emerging Approaches for Validating and Managing Multiple Sclerosis Relapse

The autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by relapses in the majority of patients. A definitive clinical diagnosis of relapse in MS can be complicated by the presence of an infection or comorbid disorder. In this mini-review, we describe efforts to develop enhanced imaging techniques and biomarker detection as future tools for relapse validation. There is emerging evidence of roles for meningeal inflammation, sex hormones, comorbid metabolic or mood disorders, and a dysregulated immune profile in the manifestation and severity of relapse. Specific subsets of immune cells likely drive the pathophysiology of relapse, and identification of a patient's unique immunological signature of relapse may help guide future diagnosis and treatment. Finally, these studies highlight the diversity in terms of relapse presentation, immunological signature, and response in patients with MS, indicating that going forward the best approach to assessment and treatment of relapse will be multifactorial and highly personalized.

Contraception for women with multiple sclerosis: Guidance for healthcare providers

Family planning is essential for any comprehensive treatment plan for women of reproductive age with multiple sclerosis (MS), including counseling on using effective contraception to optimally time desired and prevent unintended pregnancies. This topical review summarizes the first evidence-based recommendations on contraception safety for women with MS. In 2016, evidence-based recommendations for contraceptive use by women with MS were included in US Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. They were developed after review of published scientific evidence on contraception safety and consultation with experts. We summarize and expand on the main conclusions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Most contraceptive methods appear based on current evidence to be safe for women with MS. The only restriction is use of combined hormonal contraceptives among women with MS with prolonged immobility because of concerns about possible venous thromboembolism. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) do not appear to decrease the effectiveness of hormonal contraception although formal drug-drug interaction studies are limited. Neurologists can help women with MS make contraceptive choices that factor their level of disability, immobility, and medication use. For women with MS taking potentially teratogenic medications, highly effective methods that are long-acting (e.g. intrauterine devices, implants) might be the best option.